CHEF TO CHEF
Stepping Into a New Leadership Role
Palmetto Bluff Club’s newly appointed Executive Chef is eager to learn the ins and outs of the culinary operation and work with the team to evolve and improve. By Joanna DeChellis, Editor
14 Club + Resort Chef
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July 2022
TAKING ON A NEW ROLE as Executive Chef at a storied club comes with challenges. There are subcultures within the team that must be navigated and overcome. There’s a membership base whose trust must be won. And there are expectations for an immediate improvement to the food and often the service, too. Seasoned chefs who were once key members of a culinary team have to essentially start over, proving themselves and their abilities to the cooks, managers and members. It’s not easy, but it is possible with hard work, self-awareness,
patience and immersion. Rhy Waddington knows this journey well, as he is only a few months into his new role as Executive Chef of the Palmetto Bluff Club (Bluffton, S.C.). After serving as Executive Chef of Winged Foot Golf Club (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) for more than a decade, he has embraced the newness of Palmetto Bluff, and he’s eager to improve upon an already impressive culinary program. Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): Why did you decide to leave Winged Foot? What was the transition like?
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